protested against “this clear case of malversation” (as Bentley’s right reverend biographer admits it to have been). They declared that Breval might raise an action of damages because “his father was just dead, in poor circumstances, and all his family were beggars.” The ex-Fellow did not risk an expensive lawsuit, but left Cambridge, and joined our army at Flanders as a volunteer. The talents which he had shown in old academic learning were now displayed in acquiring modern languages with extraordinary facility. The Duke of Marlborough, who took notice of him, soon discovered his aptitude for high-class work, and employed him in negotiations with several German princes. He gave him a commission as Captain in the army.
After the peace Captain Breval became a great traveller, his companion or pupil being Lord Malpas. His first attempts in literature were in the form of plays and rhyming essays. One of these, published in 1717, was a burlesque upon Pope and his friends Gay and Arbuthnot, entitled “The Confederates, a farce by Joseph Gay.” Such being its theme, it was — without any disparagement to its intrinsic merits — the occasion of his receiving a place in The Dunciad. Pope certainly succeeded in recording the true pronunciation of his satirist’s surname,
’Twas chatt’ring, grinning, mouthing, jabb’ring all,
And noise and Norton, brangling and Breval.
In 1734 Captain Breval published “A History of the House of Nassau, especially of the Orange Branch of it.”
But his best and truly great works were his four folio volumes of Travels in Europe, handsomely printed and profusely illustrated. Bernard Lintot was his publisher, and issued in 1722 “Proposals” for printing Captain Breval’s Remarks on several parts of Europe, illustrated with several maps, plans, and above forty copperplates. Volume i. was published in 1722, volume ii. in 1723, and a second edition of the complete work appeared in 1728. He continued his visits to various parts of Europe, and two new folios were produced. I have these two additional volumes before me; they are entitled, “Remarks on several parts of Europe, relating chiefly to their antiquities and history, collected upon the spot in several tours since the year 1723. By John Breval, Esq., author of the former Remarks;” London, 1738. The plates, engraved by Fourdrinier from original drawings, are forty-two in number, and illustrate Italy, Sicily, and the south of France. Among the subscribers are Moses Amyrault, Esq., Colonel Batareau, James Bonnel, Esq., Mr. John Charron of Leghorn, late Sir Edward Desbouverie, Bart., Major Foubert, Isaac Lehup, Esq., and Lord Viscount Primrose. To transcribe the names and titles of members of the peerage who subscribed for the work would fill two or three pages. This was his last work; he died in Paris in January 1739 (n.s.).
XIII. Smart Lethieullier, Esq.[1]
As the family to which this gentleman belongs has already been described in detail, it is sufficient to say that he was the second but eldest surviving son of John Lethieullier, Esq., of Aldersbrook, in Essex, and grandson of Sir John Lethieullier. He was named after his grandfather, Sir Joseph Smart, of London (knighted 1696, died 1703). His university education was at Oxford, where he was a gentleman-commoner of Trinity College. He succeeded his venerable father on 1st January 1737 (n.s.), when he was in his thirty-fourth year. He reminds us of Abraham de la Pryme. He made England the scene of his travels, and collected immense materials for illustrating the civil and natural history of his native country. He compiled numerous Itineraries, diligently using his pen in noting the antiquities which he met with, and skilfully employing his pencil in making drawings of everything remarkable. He made a great collection of English fossils in two large cabinets scientifically arranged. These he catalogued and described in a folio volume, in which the most rare specimens were accurately and artistically drawn. His admiration for the marbles of Italy led him to visit those regions, and besides making a fine collection, he compiled an illustrated MS. volume regarding them. He enriched his cabinets and library with the spoils of Italy — the former containing medals and coins; the latter, many volumes of valuable engravings. He also made some explorations in Germany. All this he accomplished without impairing his estate; for he left to his heiress not only Aldersbrook, but also the manor of Birch Hall in Theydon Bois. His heiress was his niece, daughter of his brother Charles, who died in December 1759, he himself surviving only until August of next year. His manuscripts were the
- ↑ Founded upon Nichols’ “Literary Anecdotes,” vol. v. pp. 368, &c.
